HALL OF FAME

Jo-Anne Swan

Jo-Anne Swan is with little doubt the most talented athlete in the club’s history and her achievements are unlikely to be matched let alone surpassed at this club or any other. Best known as a top class sprinter in the 100, 200 and 400 metre sprint distances, she was also a State Championships gold medal winner in the 800 metres and long jump. At her peak, the name Jo-Anne Swan and future Olympic representative were used more than once in the same sentence, with newspaper articles stating she was one of Australia’s most promising athletes. Unfortunately, recurring injuries prevented her from reaching her full potential.
Jo-Anne’s performances were considered good enough to be given special permission to compete up an age group at the State Championships for the first time in 1979 when she was in the under 6 age group. At that time, the under 7 age group was the youngest age allowed to compete at State. Seizing the opportunity, Jo-Anne showed her early potential by becoming the first Camden athlete to win a gold medal at State, when she won the 400 metres. Jo-Anne also picked up 2 bronze medals for her efforts in the 50 and 70 metres. Jo-Anne won 3 medals for 3 events entered in her first year at State.

From this first appearance at State in the under 7’s right through to the under 15 age group (which was the final age group in Little Athletics at the time) Jo-Anne competed in 33 individual events and brought home 33 State medals; 29 gold; 2 silver; and; 2 bronze.

Jo-Anne also competed at the State Cross Country Championships and won this event each year she competed from 1981 to 1983 in the under 8’s, 9’s and 10’s.

In 1985 and competing in the under 12 age group, Jo-Anne was selected as team Captain of the NSW team for the National titles held in Melbourne. At this top level of competition, Jo-Anne still won all of her 3 individual events – the 100 metres; the 400 metres; and; long jump. Jo-Anne was awarded the ‘Shelleys’ scholarship for the “most talented girl athlete” at the Nationals.

In 1986 and competing in the under 13 age group, Jo-Anne was awarded the inaugural ‘Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy’ for her outstanding achievements at the State Championships, having set new State records in all 4 of her events – the 100 metres; 200 metres; 400 metres; and; long jump. Jo-Anne’s records still stand to this day for the 100 and 400 metres.

In 1987 and competing in the under 14 age group, Jo-Anne was selected for the NSW team heading to the Interstate Championships in Darwin in a multi event (100 metres; 800 metres; 90 hurdles; discus; and; long jump) and once again placed first. Later that year, she was awarded the ‘MLC junior sports scholarship’ which was considered the most prestigious junior sports award in Australia at the time.

In her years at the club from the under 6’s through to the under 15’s, Joanne held or broke;

· 73 club records with 19 still current

· 24 Zone Championships records with 12 still current

· 10 Region Championships records with 2 current up to and including the 2011/2012 season after which time the Region was dissolved

· 10 State records with 5 still current (U7 – 70m; U7 – 200m; U8 – 400m; U13 – 100m and 400m); and;

· 3 National records with the last of these broken as recently as 2008 in the under 13’s 100 metres.

Jo-Anne competed at 10 State Championships which is a club record and will not be equalled.

Jo-Anne Swan-Archer became the first inductee into the Camden Athletic Club Hall of Fame on the 3rd May, 2013.

Note: All records being current at the conclusion of the 2012/2013 Little Athletics season.
Ernie Shankelton

Ernie Shankelton started his association with the club in 1988 and began what has been an unbroken run in coaching that started in 1989 and continues to this day.

Ernie’s focus has always been on the throwing events of athletics but his passion has always been the hammer throw event.
Aside from taking athletes to State and Australian Championships over the years, he has also taken a number of athletes to the world masters, world juniors, world championships, Commonwealth and Olympic Games. Ernie’s most notable athlete being Bronwyn Eagles, who placed 2nd in the hammer event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and also competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Considered an expert in the field of hammer throwing, Ernie has been asked to present for various associations, such as the NSW Institute of Sport, Athletics Australia and also the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF).
Ernie also had coaching team appointments in 2001 for the East Asian Games in Osaka, Japan; the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, Canada; the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England; and; the 2004 World Championships in Paris, France.

Other appointments included;

· Co-ordinator of the South West Sydney Academy of Sport throws group from 1998-2001;

· Co-ordinator of the South West Sydney Academy of Sport track & field program from 2002-2005; and;

· High performance coach for the NSW Institute of Sport from 1998 to 2004.
Ernie received life member status from our club in 1998 and was named NSW coach of the year in 2002 by the Australian Track & Field Coaching Association (AT&FCA) and was presented with the Gold Service Award from the South West Sydney Academy of Sport in 2006.

Ernie Shankelton became the second inductee into the Camden Athletic Club Hall of Fame on 3rd May, 2013